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In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 243, penned by Kodiyoor Kizhaar Maganaar Neythal Thathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the attitude of the northern wind.
அவரை ஆய் மலர் உதிர, துவரின
வாங்கு துளைத் துகிரின் ஈங்கை பூப்ப,
இறங்கு போது அவிழ்ந்த ஈர்ம் புதல் பகன்றைக்
கறங்கு நுண் துவலையின் ஊருழை அணிய,
பெயல் நீர் புது வரல் தவிர, சினை நேர்பு
பீள் விரிந்து இறைஞ்சிய பிறங்கு கதிர்க் கழனி
நெல் ஒலி பாசவல் துழைஇ, கல்லெனக்
கடிது வந்து இறுத்த கண் இல் வாடை!
‘நெடிது வந்தனை’ என நில்லாது ஏங்கிப்
பல புலந்து உறையும் துணை இல் வாழ்க்கை
நம்வலத்து அன்மை கூறி, அவர் நிலை
அறியுநம் ஆயின், நன்றுமன் தில்ல;
பனி வார் கண்ணேம் ஆகி, இனி அது
நமக்கே எவ்வம் ஆகின்று;
அனைத்தால் தோழி! நம் தொல் வினைப் பயனே!
In this trip to the drylands, we get to see more of an aspect of weather rather than the region, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, as the man continues to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Exquisite flowers of the bean drop down, coral-like touch-me-not flowers with curving, red holes blossom, and the rattlepod flowers bloom on moist bushes during sun down, in the fine drizzle, and adorn the town entire. At this time when new rains pour no more, branched stalks sprouting out of seeds, now bend and sway in the paddy fields. Entering these fields, with a resounding roar, it then comes and swirls around me, this unseeing northern wind! If at all the northern wind would go to him, learn of his state, and say, ‘You have come afar’, and then speak of my state, that of living without my mate, with ceaseless yearning, filled with sorrow and suffering, that would be good. However, as I stand here with tear-filled eyes, all the wind wants to do is bring torment to me! And so it is, my friend, owing to nothing but the fruit of my past deeds!”
Let’s follow in the trail of the northern winds in this verse! The lady starts by listing all the flowers that have been blooming, much to the beauty of the town, and she mentions the bean flowers, the red touch-me-not flowers as well as the rattle-pod flowers. She talks about how there’s only a slight drizzle and no heavy rains seem to be pouring, indicating it’s the beginning of the cold season after the rains, a time long after the promised season of return. Then she moves on to characterise the northern winds, as it comes rushing through the paddy fields and envelopes her. She wishes the winds would go to the man, tell him that he has come too far, and talk about how the lady was languishing without his presence. But the northern wind seemed to have no mind to do any such thing and wants only to torture her, the lady says, and concludes by declaring with a helpless sigh that all this must be because she had done something wrong in the past. Herein, lies a subtle reference to the Indian concept of ‘Karma’, of attributing the misfortune of the present to some action in the past. Hope the good the lady has done brings back the man to her soon, so that they both can delight together in the blooming buds and the blowing breeze!
